(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a muffler assembly for dampening acoustic transmission. More particularly, the present invention relates to a muffler assembly for reducing sound transmission in chiller apparatuses.
(2) Description of Related Art
Water cooled chillers used in refrigerator assemblies are required to meet stringent noise level emission standards, such as those prescribed by OSHA. In particular, screw chillers, with low oil flow, tend to emit high levels of noise. The primary source of noise in such systems is the screw compressor.
The noise produced by the compressor is propagated either by gas, or by structure. It is possible to attenuate the intensity of the gas borne noise through the use of a muffler. It is therefore common in the art to employ a single muffler located in the center of a discharge pipe in order to reduce noise level emissions. However, it is often the case that noise level emissions are still above acceptable values even when employing a single muffler as described above.
What is therefore needed is a muffler arrangement for use in refrigerator systems capable of achieving a higher reduction in noise level as compared to that of the art.